Dramabeans was born in 2007, when a lone drama fan searched the internet high and wide for a place to discuss K-dramas with the loving attention and excruciating detail she felt they deserved. She decided she’d have to build it herself, took the name “javabeans,” and started blogging about the dramas she was watching at the time. This quickly grew into something much bigger than she’d ever dreamed, and suddenly she was writing about dramas day and night, day after day. It became the best job ever.

In 2010, javabeans meet a kindred spirit in girlfriday, who was exactly the same kind of top-level nerd about dramas as she was, and they hit it off. Girlfriday came onboard as her, well, Girl Friday, a beautiful partnership was born, and thousands of recaps later they’re still going strong, analyzing and deconstructing and squeeing over their favorite shows.

Over the years, the site has expanded and the Dramabeans family has grown to include a staff of recap minions, because people get tired but the dramas keep coming, and the more dramas we could cover, the better we could serve everyone’s TV addictions. You’re welcome!

ABOUT JAVABEANS

I love Korean dramas, and I love talking about, writing about, and analyzing them. I’ve been watching dramas for as long as I can remember; I was raised on a steady diet of them, with the household TV always tuned to one show or another. The first Korean drama I recall specifically loving was the 1992 hit Jealousy, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

I started this site because I couldn’t find a site providing meaty (or any) analysis for K-dramas, a longtime guilty pleasure of mine. I enjoy marveling at the pretty as much as anyone, but also wanted to express appreciation for quality that didn’t automatically dismiss something for being popular. Or, on the flipside of that same coin, to discuss something popular that went beyond surface discussion of the plot or hot cast. (Although, let’s be honest! Hot cast = a nice bonus.)

My avatar is SuperDalja from Dal-ja’s Spring, who made an impression on me right away with her encouraging spirit and belief that real-life Superwomen aren’t that way because of special powers, but that we’re all the Superwomen of our own lives, working hard to bring happiness to our small corners of the world.

My underlying modus operandi: Just because it’s pop culture doesn’t mean discourse has to be shallow. I’d like to sustain a fun but hopefully substantive level of conversation, mixed with some irreverence. Because it’s not worth it if it’s no fun.

ABOUT GIRLFRIDAY

I’m a writer, a TV junkie, a critic, and a fan of good storytelling in any medium. I grew up watching Korean television my whole life, thanks to my parents, and am constantly blown away by how globally popular K-dramas and K-pop have become. Dramabeans is a testament to the fact that great stories can transcend any cultural barrier, and it’s home to the greatest community of fans in the universe. Science says so.

I love dissecting what makes a drama resonate with its audience, and figuring out what speaks to people universally. I have a secret love of puns. I enjoy grammar, if only to break some more rules. I feel very strongly that people can have thoughtful discourse on just about any topic, and that art—mass, pop, high, pulp, whatever it may be—can and should be discussed intelligently for the thing it is.

About the name: A Girl Friday could rule the world, if she really wanted to. You know her—the best friend smartypants who always knows exactly what the private eye/secret agent/superhero needs? She’s plucky and clever and sassy and loyal, and pretty much smarter than everyone in the room. My favorite Girl Fridays are of course ones that break the mold. Every Willow Rosenberg and Veronica Mars out there gives us hope that the geeky outcast can and will save the world. Just think of me as Dramabeans’ girlfriday: the Miss Moneypenny to javabeans’ Bond.

December 22, 2009 at 5:22 AM

December 30, 2009 at 6:44 AM

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Hallo,
I become a fan korean drama in my country.
Please help me how to find the TV mini-series DAMO.
I have search a lot but I don't find how can be dowloaded. Especialy for the actor LEE SEO JIN, I want to see his preformance in this drama.
Thank you for your understanding.
nikky

December 30, 2009 at 10:37 PM

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dramabeans, you are a god(dess), and i love you. stop. end.

well, i tried. i really really like your blog. i first started reading it because you were the first person that actually discussed a drama without being hung up on the superficial. You justify yourself in a generally eloquent manner and make the drama watching community a better place. i absolutely love kdrama and your site allows me to thoughtfully reflect upon and consider the dramas i watch with a perspective outside of my own. the only other human with which i have contact that watches dramas is my best friend who for some unknown reason watches only tw dramas... she did watch yab though just so she could understand the rabbit pig thing... garhg, well thats a digression!
anyway i have great respect for you and i absolutely love your site!
ending now. <3

January 5, 2010 at 11:38 PM

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i'm Malaysian, and i really love dramabeans!! i love the way you do the recaps, it's kinda 'friendly' -- not being too formal..-- i found this site when i was fond to know the story of Beethoven Virus -- which was shown up a bit late in my country- - i did search for the watch-kdrama-online, but when i found your site, i think it's better.. so, please continue this great work, coz this site my favorite one..

January 14, 2010 at 5:14 PM

Thank you for your great reviews, views, gossips etc. You have no idea how happy i was to come across your blog. my 1st k drama was My Girl and instantly fell in love with it . my sister from Nepal sent me its dvd. i woke up all night to finish it. i have watched it at least 5 more times after that. my second K drama was Full House. i didnt like it as much as My Girl. Now, i have watched at least 15 more all together. and my most favorite has to be "you are beautiful."

These days I follow your blog like a religion. keep up the good work.
have a quick question. Have you watched "Really really love you?" if yes, then wht do you think about it? i was going to watch it ( waiting for new episodes of 'wish upon a star') i really wanted to know ur opinion on it as i really value ur opinion.

January 14, 2010 at 7:38 PM

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hi jb or Oh Mighty One!
Thank you so much for putting up this site which has been my homepage since I stumbled upon it 2 years ago. It has been my constant go-to reading material whenever I find myself without a book nearby and I have even bookmarked your blog on my phone. It is now proven that your blog is an addiction I just can't and won't quit since it has provided me with numerous thoughts and insights about the korean entertainment which I find intriguing.
I love reading your entries because they're always both entertaining and intellectual, without souding supercilious and superficial. You don't fail to amuse me and at the same time, awe me with your fascinating use of the english language. I find it stimulating to have found a conversant blogger that instigates the reader to think on their own without being patronizing when you're expressing your views/concepts/opinions. That goes for your contributing bloggers, too ^_^
I express my deep gratitude and respect for all your hardwork. Fighting!!! lol

January 15, 2010 at 4:27 AM

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When I stumbled on this site, I thought it was a site for kdrama enthusiasts to get good reviews about korean dramas and such. But it seems this site is all about the admin being judgemental and highly critical. I don't know...some of the reviews sound very snobby and condescending...

January 20, 2010 at 10:17 AM

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so i became a fan of korean dramas 2 years ago my friends kept telling me to watch them and i was like umm no i am not really intrested me being mexican i dont really like the soap operas there so dramatic and take forever dont get me wrong theres a few that were good but thats about it :D so they kept nagging me and nagging me :3 that i finally gave in 1 because i had letrally a bag full of dramas and 2 because i had gotten sick so i decided to give them a shot and iam so happy i did my first drama i watched was Autumn Fairytale and it was really good had me in tears from the start after that i just couldn't stop tell this day....So i found your page while looking for an ost and i was mad that i found your page first becuase i realized that i wasn't going to find any music here but then i was thrilled that i found something better than music i found a blog about dramas and korean actors and entertainment i was very pleased that on that same night i went threw as much recaps and pages that i could this was on oct 08 and ever since i've been on your page everyday and every chance i get just to see if anything new has been posted...

so i just reallized that i just jolted a hole bunch of nothing down but anyways i want to thank you and everyone that helps you with all of our drama addiction////

January 21, 2010 at 8:35 PM

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hi javabean! love ur blog...do you mind if i ask how do you make your headers? or do you know what software/application did the people that gave them to you used to make them? i love them so, theyre so cool and fun..they are my inspiration (hahaha)in making banners/headers for our JKS forum...thanks! :D

January 24, 2010 at 9:12 AM

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came across yr blog just a wk ago. glad i fd it!
your reviews of the drama series are great; very well-written and enjoyable to read. not shallow at all!!! saw 'u're beautiful' and then came across yr reviews which were as enjoyable as watching the series.
keep it up!

January 26, 2010 at 10:32 PM

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Hey JB,
Followed your website for the first time just for "You're Beautiful" and can I say you are a splendid writer? I had such a hard time finding reviews that made any sense, and yet, when I stumbled upon dramabeans, all my qualms vanished. I would come after the drama and with my own critique in my head, it was always nice to see that someone picked up on all those quirks that I hadn't just imagined. Now, I don't have to scamper all around the worldwideweb to remember what happened in what episode of what(particularly "You're Beautiful, strangely obsessed? I do believe I am. It could be JGS, but let's leave that there :P) You've done a favour to the world, be proud! And keep it up!

February 8, 2010 at 10:48 PM

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Hey Javabeans, just wanted to let you know that I and i'm sure many others are hardcore devotees to dramabeans. i remember when you had the javabeans wordpress, too. though im not sure why im stating what you probably already know, i do have one complaint.

i'm seeing less of YOUR posts and more of GUEST posts. crrrrry. Honestly, I couldn't care what others had to say and the fact that im visiting your blog to hear your take on dramas, actors, etc., its pretty disgruntling to no longer see your opinions on some cool dramas. but then again, you're probabaly busy. if thats the case, ignore my rant. Ha! thanks for everything

February 12, 2010 at 9:27 PM

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i just want to thank you.
your blog helps me a lot, understand Kdrama.
its hard to read subtitles while watching.lolz
i cant focus.
now i'm crazy about Stars falling from the sky.
at first im wonderin why they choose a short actor to be the lead(Kim Ji Hoon).
but then, i realized that hes handsome and a hunk. lolz. now, i cant get my eyes off him. hahaha

i just wish, there's more news about him. its very limited (in english) i have zero Korean. (i just love Kdrama & kimchi) :)

February 19, 2010 at 2:33 PM

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You're writing is amazing, it's something I can only aspire to. I have to praise your thorough recaps-- especially for Boys Before Flowers, I was suprised someone disagreed with the all around awesomeness of the mainstream drama. Your perspectives aren't facile and I'm really grateful for it. It's great that there's a website that provides someone's contemplative inner thoughts on Korean drama (that typical spurs the conventional cry of "love love love" and never a reason why). By the way, your moniker is nothing if not succinct. It's perfect, don't worry over the potential "imperfection." Dramabeans is sure better than most of the titles (like [insert popular band name here] rules) out there. Thanks for your recaps, Oh Mighty One.

February 20, 2010 at 4:35 AM

February 20, 2010 at 10:36 PM

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Oh~ Might ON~

Will it be OK for me to translate your English translation and post it in a Chinese drama site at Baidu BBS? I would refer to your and your site, but the problem is that they sometimes will just remove any posting with external links, so I may not be able to post your complete URL, but can definitely reference your site by name.

February 20, 2010 at 10:36 PM

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Oh~ Might ONE~

Will it be OK for me to translate your English translation and post it in a Chinese drama site at Baidu BBS? I would refer to your and your site, but the problem is that they sometimes will just remove any posting with external links, so I may not be able to post your complete URL, but can definitely reference your site by name.

February 21, 2010 at 8:48 AM

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Hi there.. it's nice reading the recaps/reviews you've written.. esp when the screen caps are included! (Lol i got all crazy when I saw YB's screen caps).. i know you're busy and stuffs but it would be great to see you do recaps/review of the drama Stars are Falling from the Sky ^_^

February 25, 2010 at 8:05 AM

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hi! this blog site is nice. i like watching kdrama/movies whenever i can. what i like about the tv dramas (at least the good ones) is that the emotions are conveyed clearly (of course good acting is a must) without the usual exaggeration of facial expressions ( or lack of it) which, alas, is a staple of the Filipino counterparts. the scene can be filled with tension and conflict through subtle moves and moods sans the slapping/violent reactions.verses are clearly stated through the emotions without the garble of spit and tears.i do hope that Filipino dramas can take some pointers from the Korean experience. What is actually incredible is the ability of Korean directors to convey to its audience sensuality without being pornographic, violent or cheap.the really good ones can really deliver without actually showing a lot of skin.kudos to the Korean directors! even the comedy films are really funny even with minimal slapstick.i love "my sassy girl". i do hope i'd be able to get some good sources of great Korean films/tv series for my viewing pleasure.thanks for the deconstruction. :)

February 27, 2010 at 12:08 PM

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Hi. I am from Iran, and I did not know anything about Korean drama and boysb4 flowers was the first Korean drama that I seen. That was really nice.that was the firs film that i cried when I was watching it & I really love Go-jun pyoo he is really kind & pure boy. Love you.(jee-hu,jandi,vubin,goo-junpyoo & best boy of f4). :)

February 28, 2010 at 8:54 AM

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Hello, I'm a k-Drama addict. I've been watching Love You Thousand Time and begin to get frustrated with how the write gears the ending of this drama toward a so typical KDrama ending. Anybody knows the English website for this drama so we can vent our frustration and relay our idea of happy ending for this drama

March 1, 2010 at 7:54 PM

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Okay, so I'm a big fan of your work, and I love your recaps on The Woman Who Still Wants To Marry. But I was wondering if you could ever consider doing a recap about The Princess Hours/Goong but only if you have the time. (:

March 27, 2010 at 4:24 PM

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my friend told me about this site, i'm from germany half asian, i'm kdrama fan just recently, keep me laugh and fun especially when i'm bored. keep it up all subbing team the drama become interesting because of you guyz cHeErSssSSssSS

April 2, 2010 at 12:58 PM

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hey you XD

this is the first time i´m on your blog .....and i´m completely addicted !!!!
i´ve read the recap of personal taste , it was great !!!

you probably hear this quite often as i can read on this page XD, but i want to tell you once more : YOU ARE AWSOME !!!!!!
the idea for this blog is super XDDD
eventhough i not only love korean dramas, but also j and tw (nd others ^^) i think it is such a great present to us all !!!
thx

lots of happy greetings from germany !!!!

PS: nice that i can post some texts to some other d.addicts ^^ ....can´t get my friends to watch dramas .....*sigh*

April 12, 2010 at 10:37 PM

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Hi JB,

I've read all the posted messages and one thing in common is that they all love your blog.
Well, as for me, I'm bowled over the fact that you have a beautiful, informative and well written blog about kdrama I've ever read.
I love those kmusic that you have posted here, (even though I don't understand the lyrics)...i'm from the Philippines by the way..

April 21, 2010 at 4:21 AM

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Hi dramabeans!
I am a Chinese student .I have been watching K-dramas for almost 5 years.
I love them very much!

What a pity that I did not find your blog until this year !! Really a coincidence,
I read your recaps on Will It Snow For Christmas.As a whole , I think it is a good melodrama.I Enjoy your recaps as well!Thank you !

Well,I am just a little curious.How can you spare so much time to do so much great work?I hope you do not sacrifice much time of rest!

April 24, 2010 at 12:53 AM

April 27, 2010 at 9:41 PM

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Hey there- I feel like I'f done this before but I don't think I have and really I don't know if you'll see this but when it really really comes down to it that's not what a confession's all about is it at least not to some degree -BREEEATH!-
Run on sentences are my talent.
I don't want to sound too serious or too pseudo serious, so I will let what fly fly.
Anyhow.
I just wanted to express my appreciation for your blog. I've practically lived on it for quite some time as a lurker. Maybe... I don't know. Over a year, at least. I think? No concept of time. I do very much enjoy your recaps, even when I'm watching a series. Tonight, though, I've come across is again after a short hiatus from the internet [ I was going to say 'participation on' said internet, but.. as mentioned before, lurker. ] and realized how much I luuurrve this place [or state of mind?] and that I WANT YOU TO KNOW. HOW MUCH. I ENJOY YOU.
As much as you can enjoy someone you don't know. [:
So thanks.
I get so jaded when it comes to the internet, but I'm a repeat customer here.

And since I've lost my train of thought, I'll go back to reading old new updates~
[and prove why it's best I stay a lurker, I guess]

April 27, 2010 at 11:28 PM

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hellllo,

i rarely comment when i'm on this site, but for some reason tonight i felt the urge to do so. i just want to tell you that i think you're a really good writer. in your drama recaps, i think you do a really nice job of blending objective and subjective aspects - it's so much fun reading the character analysis and your own personal commentary. you pretty much expressed my feelings of watching those dramas through these recaps. thanks so much, and don't overwork yourself!

April 28, 2010 at 5:31 AM

April 30, 2010 at 7:56 AM

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Just wanted to praise you guys on the awesome jobs you guys do with the recaps, sometimes you take the word out of my head and write it in your recaps.
I couldn't agree more with what you write.
Keep it up!
Besos from the Dominican Republic.